Towards a better media

Towards a better media: who holds the headlines to account?

Live webinar event - Wednesday 21 October - 7 pm to 8.15 pm

With Lexie Kirconnell-Kawana, Nafeez Ahmed, Priyamvada Gopal and Mike Galsworthy (chair).

We rely on journalism to question those in power, uncover what is hidden, and help us understand an increasingly complex world. When it does its job properly, it's a firewall between democracy and disinformation, authoritarianism and hate.

But what happens when the media itself becomes part of the problem? Who holds it to account? 14 years after the Leveson Inquiry reported its findings, has anything really changed? And how can we build something better? Join Bylines Network on Wednesday 21 October, for a vital conversation about the media Britain needs — and what it will take to get there. 

What to expect

This the latest in our series of monthly webinars making sense of the big issues facing society, and your chance to hear from:

• Lexie Kirconnell-Kawana – chief executive of Impress, the independent media regulator.
• Nafeez Ahmed – systems theorist, and Director of Investigations & Strategic Impact at Byline Times.
• Priyamvada Gopal – writer, activist, and professor of postcolonial studies at the University of Cambridge.
• Mike Galsworthy – Bylines Network co-founder and chair of this event

Shocking recent coverage of Dr Jason Arday, followed by his tragic death, has raised serious questions about ethics, responsibility and political influence in legacy media and journalism. Our discussion will consider these questions in a wider conversation about power, prejudice and accountability, with topics including:

• Who gets to shape the news and whose experiences are overlooked.
• How we can stop journalism from causing harm.
• How ownership, political influence and commercial pressures affect the stories we see. 
• What meaningful press accountability should look like.
• How we can protect fearless reporting while challenging journalism that misrepresents and misinforms.

Join the conversation

Bylines Network webinars are a chance to explore the issues behind the headlines, hear different perspectives and put your questions to people with insight and experience. We also look at what can change now, what citizens and communities can do, and the role that powerful independent citizen news can play.

This isn't just a discussion for the panel. It's for everyone.

This 75-minute Zoom webinar will combine a chaired panel discussion with interactive polls, an open chat and an audience Q&A. Bring your questions and join in, or simply listen — there’s no pressure to speak and no specialist knowledge needed. You’ll receive your joining link after booking.

Come with one question in mind: if you could change one thing about Britain’s media, what would it be?

Book your place now and help explore the answers.